Sunday Brunch

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 08 Mar 2014, 22:18

Dear R Sachi, Desigar's Nandanar is an ALL TIME CLASSIC. YOU SHD TRY& SEE MVI who had played the role of Vediyarin an earlier version in a movie role too.. GKB'S Nandanar Charitham is the ULTIMATE IN TAMIL POETRY, MUSIC AS WELL AS PHILOSOPHY. MOST TAMILIANS are blissfully ignorant of THE ROLES OF JIVATMA & PARAMATHMA IN OUR PHILOSOPHICAL HISTORY. A MUST for any one who is even REMOTELY INTERESTED in ANY of these areas. Prof. S.Ramanathan has EXTENSIVELY written, performed the various ASPECTS of this PROFOUND AREA. SMT. KAMALA MURTHY'S GRIPPING Harikatha on GKB is a MUST FOR ANYONE from Tamilnadu & shows how an European was responsible for its PUBLICATION! It is a great pity that TAMILIANS who claim great love of language, culture, not only a pity but a TRAGEDY that THIS IS MISSED....VKV :-ss

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 08 Mar 2014, 23:01

Really sir? Where can I get to watch Smt Kamala Murthy's harikatha?

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 08 Mar 2014, 23:33

RSachi, Charsur has released a commercial album of Kamala Moorthy's harikatha (just audio)
www.charsur.com/index.php/spiritual/soulabyam.html

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 09 Mar 2014, 10:48

Rsachi
There is also TS Balakrishna sastrigal nandanar charitram available . I think i got it from sangeethapriya. you should hear that, TSBS is fantastic.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 09 Mar 2014, 11:11

Rajesh, I did hear TSBS long back.
I find this movie has depicted the character of Nandanar very well. I am all admiration for Sri MMDD.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 15 Mar 2014, 13:13

Wonderful music for a great Sunday brunch:
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=23162

Additional tip:
Install the equaliser extension for the Chrome browser. Will help you to enjoy the mridangam sound as the YouTube video streams....

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 23 Mar 2014, 01:52

Dear rasikas,
I have held back sharing this piece of great appeal to me personally, until this Sunday for your brunch:
https://archive.org/details/MMISPriyaRTPLGJTKM

I have got this as a part of the MMI Centenary double DVD from Dr VKV.

In this piece lasting over 50 minutes, a musical genius called Madurai Mani iyer takes us on a trip like an expert Himalayan guide would take us to Kailash Manasarovar. He unveils Shanmukhapriya in its melodic glory. His approach reminds me of a haiku in its simplicity, of Mysore Rasam in its flavour, and Madurai jasmine in its fragrance. He shows how one can deliver a fantastic Ragam Tanam Pallavi without sacrificing melody or balance. A far cry from the breathless belaboured renderings full of sweat and gore of today's concert stage.

I have heard umpteen Shanmukhapriya RTPs. This one had me connecting with the raga, and indeed the deity Swaminatha, like nothing else.

Lalgudi on the violin is exquisite. He follows with alacrity and elegance. Veteran TK Murthy comes up with a special mridangam accompaniment in this song. This seems to have been a part of a long concert in Calcutta. Great audio quality. The audience seems to be really into it.

Perhaps the most glorious testimony to Madurai Mani Iyer's excellence is that the swara raga malika in the end, with Sahana, Kaanada, Behag, Sindhu Bhairavi, etc. seems just decorous in showing respect to the extant Kutcheri practice. The raga changes do not in any way enhance the musicality of the RTP. It was already perfect.

Enjoy a great brunch, before the craze of these days called t20 cricket. After all, everything, including cricket these days, isn't cricket. Thank God for MMI, he was the ultimate in touching truth through music.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 24 Mar 2014, 08:13

Dear RSachi,
YOUR ELOQUENCE AS WELL AS THE TRUTH YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT MMI MOVES & OVERWHELMS ME. HOW I WISH I HAD KNOWN YOU BEFORE THE MMI CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS! ONE BREIEF ARTICLE BY YOU IS EQUIVALENT TO ALL THE EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN BY SO MANY OF US! VKV

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 24 Mar 2014, 14:10

Sir, you're too kind!

The music you've shared is giving delight to many many people...

I know someone who listens only to MMI as he drives around. I envy him.

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 25 Mar 2014, 07:21

R Sachi, thank you for posting a very soulful Shanmukhapriya RTP of MMI . I have memories of MMI's another exquisitely rendered Shanmukhapriya RTP(Saravanabhava Shanmukhapriya) with kedaragowla, Ranjani and Surati in the ragamalika swaras. Nice if anybody can upload it also.

annamalai · Post by **annamalai** » 25 Mar 2014, 10:02

Yes, it is indeed a fantastic Shanmugapriya indeed by MMI. I was always infatuated GN's long raga alapanas on Shanmugapriya bringing out the pathos of the raga.

I have to hand it out to Mooku mama - Semmangudi - when he is in his elements , he can be unstoppable (sort of Brian Lara on the pump) - his alapanas are out of the world.

There is a concert of SSI with Chowdiah and CSM which cuts off abruptly, the alapana of Shanmugapriya is breathtaking.

Perhaps, this is how the yesterera Nadaswara vidwans (Keeranur Brothers ??) may have rendered with full vibrato.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 25 Mar 2014, 23:41

Annamalai,
What you say reminds me of a varALi SSI (mUkkAle pADugiRa mAmA--as we thought of him as tots) sang in a TV interview when I happened to be in India. Breathtaking stuff--unstoppable, as you say. Neraval, svarAs, as I remember it. Early nineties? If only Varsha or his ilk not only know what I mean but also can bring it to us!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 26 Mar 2014, 05:09

TMK is #1 varALi champ.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 Mar 2014, 21:57

Wonder if he sang it at his book release concert. Were you there?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 27 Mar 2014, 23:13

Sorry no. Too many speeches scared me off.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 28 Mar 2014, 06:14

He did not sing Varali. He started with Rama nee samanamevaru, alapana and tanam of Janaranjani, enthavedukondo, mamava madhava and ragamalika.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Mar 2014, 08:01

Chellapa,,
Was it a short concert? If I were Rajesh, I would ask: how many minutes did each item last? Did he sing about an hour long RTP in janaranjani? What was the rAgamAlikA? Who were the accompanists?

Was Chowdiah Hall full?

And I ask, how were the speeches?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 29 Mar 2014, 13:11

Dear rasikas,
Have you heard the Madhushala album of the late Manna Dey? I believe it is his finest work. I I heard it on LP in the Sangeet Natak Academy listening room several times in '70s.

The poetry of Harvanshrai Bachchan follows the Sufi paradigm of Omar Khayyam, talking of the intoxication of Life. Or call it divine ecstasy or Keats' reference to Bacchus. It is an allegory that takes us beyond alcohol and drugs.

Come, drink in this music. The entire album is online at gaana.com here :
http://gaana.com/share/AMannaI3447

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Mar 2014, 03:08

RSachi...as a member of my school's antAkshari I have been in love with these gems from Sri Harivansh Rai Bacchan for eons now. I have a few personal favorites that I am so glad Sri Manna Da has chosen for this album.
Sri Bacchan also wrote another set of poems that end with 'mein madhuSAlA ki madhubAlA' that are equally intoxicating...

Thank you for the album - to (mis)quote Sri Bacchan, 'gAyak gaN hein pInE vAlE, album meri madhuSAlA'!
The original goes, 'pAThak gaN hein pInE vAlE, pustak meri madhuSAlA'!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 01 Apr 2014, 18:26

Arasi Madam,
It was about an hour long. The RTP was short. No pallavi (only RT). HKV was on the violin and Arun Prakash on Mridangam. I sort of came out when the RM was on. I am unable to write more, being not well into music. Enta Vedu kondu was in vilamba kala. I heard it a second time. He sang it in B'lore earlier too. I am used to Chembai/MS singing which is brisk and gripping in my taste,

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 04 Apr 2014, 09:19

Link: http://www.hummaa.com/music/album/avdho ... arva/26762

Listen to these Avadhoota bhajans by the one and only Kumar Gandharva accompanied by his wife.
The bhajans are incredibly melodious and stir the soul. There is nothing like this in this world....

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 30 Apr 2014, 11:04

Click image to access a feast..

Welcome to this six plus hours of Bhairavi bliss..the masterpiece rendered by 21 maestros from Budalur to Abhishek!!!
Thanks to Sekharam for the SoundCloud upload

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 30 Apr 2014, 11:49

Thanks Sachi for giving link to these treasures. Indeed, you are so magnanimous.
On my part, I invite all Kannadigas to listen to the following lecture demonstrations by Dr.TS.Sathyavathi- all Kannadigas I wrote because it is in 100% Kannada. Since I know Kannada, I could enjoy it 200%. It is in shalom.com. Musical Excellence in Dikshithar kritis- in two parts and Musical Excellence in Swathi Thirunal Kritis.- Very scholarly, methodical, melodious. WE should get more such demonstrations from the great musician.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 30 Apr 2014, 12:12

Will do, sir! Thanks:-)

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 30 Apr 2014, 22:54

Dr T S Satyavathi on musical excellence of Swathi Thirunal krithis

When you go to this You Tube page, you will see archived her talk on Muthuswami Dikshitar also.
Happy watching!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 30 Apr 2014, 22:55

Dr T S Satyavathi on musical excellence of Swathi Thirunal krithis

When you go to this You Tube page, you will see archived her talk on Muthuswami Dikshitar also.
Happy watching!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 01 May 2014, 06:06

Come, let's celebrate the success of rasikas.org...this thread that simply gives links and access to music has received 10000 views in sixteen months or 65 weeks, ie around 150 views for each week!!!!
To me this is the pure joy of rasikas.org!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 01 May 2014, 07:55

Rsachi
The value of 10,000 did interest me when many many years back when Sunil Gavaskar scored the 10,000th run. The value of each of your post especially the ones that you wrote for few of the mysore parvathi concerts is just the best . Keep continuing . In the last one year not able to hear that much CM at home and these sunday brunches I pass them as I have a tiny tot in my home, nevertheless your contribution is simply too phenomenal . Love your occasional singles and twos of parvathi then your 10,000 of sunday brunch

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 01 May 2014, 08:24

Rajesh,
Thank you for your kind words.

Yes I can fully understand your inability to hear music when taking care of a kid...I actually almost blanked out music in the late 80s till 2000 because of the same reason.
But luckily these days you have a good music system with CD, bluetooth, FM Radio and USB stick in cars. Cars have excellent acoustics with calibrated speakers. Some wise ones choose a bus ride to office and surrender to music via noise canceling headphones from a mobile/Walkman.
The fact that you write detailed reviews of concerts after attendance is very creditable. You share information and your joy by devoting the time for it. Thank you!

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 01 May 2014, 10:29

RSachi, echoing Rajesh's sentiments here. Thank you for the sunday brunches. Way better than any idli sambhar I've ever had.

Rajesh: As difficult as it is with a little one, sometimes just having the music running in the background is a great way to tune their ears to this music. That said, when I listen to music, that is the only thing I do (with the exception of driving). I don't read, I don't do housework or worse still, have a conversation (and I request all my family members to follow my rules, which makes me quite unpopular with them at times). So when we had a child, I had to really change my mindset to have music on as background activity in the house when people go about their other activities. Now, this works very well with my son and he often surprises me when he is humming something that I thought he wasn't even paying attention to.

espras · Post by **espras** » 01 May 2014, 12:06

R Sachi,

Thanks for your “Sunday Brunch” that provides links to hours of blissful music. Actually, to many of us, it is an ‘all 7 days brunch’.

10,000 views is quite outstanding. You have attributed the success of this thread to rasikas.org. The converse is also true. The success and standards of rasilas.org are being kept constantly high by contributors like you.

Thanks also for leading us to listen to the scholarly discourse of Dr Satyavathi on Swathi Tirunal kruthies. She is an admirable fund of music knowledge.

S. Prasanna.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 09 May 2014, 23:03

Dear all,
I am sharing a link to a wonderful 1974 concert of Tanjore S Kalayanaraman, in the company of VVS and UKS.
If you do not have the time this Sunday to listen to the entire concert, just hear the first piece in Nata and then the Dhanyasi piece.

Here we have a simply wonderful musician: S Kalyanaraman. Many people have expressed their wonder and respect for this unique singer. He turned his respiratory handicap* into an impetus to cultivate his voice
(* this is what I have heard..) and established himself as someone who produced highly creative music.

His treatment of ragas had a genuineness about it. He always brought the best out of his accompanists. By and large he attracted great accompaniment.
In this concert there is all round camaraderie and Sivaraman has played marvellously. The accompaniment to the very first GNB kriti and then the tani after Dhanyasi... Wow.
Listen to the concert on a good sound system, preferably on headphones!
TSK VVS UKS 1974

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 May 2014, 08:18

Catch this great concert dedicated to GNB, rendered by TSK and team:
http://www.sangeethamshare.org/manjunat ... _Special-/

063-S_kalyANarAman-vOcal-A_GNB_Special-
manjunath > Carnatic > Audio > UPLOADS-001-300

01 - AmbOruha_PAdhame - Ranjani.mp3
7.08 MB | MP3 File

02 - Karimuka_varadha - NAta
10.51 MB | MP3 File

03 - ThAmasamika_thALanu - AbhOgi
12.92 MB | MP3 File

04 - AlApane - PanthUvarALi
8.69 MB | MP3 File

05 - ShivAnandha_KAmavardhani - PanthUvarALi
17.5 MB | MP3 File

06 - KAraNamEmi_KANane - ndhOLika
11.42 MB | MP3 File

07 - AlApane - MOhana
13.54 MB | MP3 File

08 - Bhuvanathraya - MOhana
12.18 MB | MP3 File

09 - Thani_Avarthane
13.9 MB | MP3 File

10 - Kamala_CharaNE - AmruthaBEhAg
6.01 MB | MP3 File

11 - Sulabha_PUjaya_mAdi - GAngEyabhUshaNi
10.35 MB | MP3 File

12 - MarivEre_gathi_nAkevaru - MALavi
5.2 MB | MP3 File

13 - PAdhabhajana_sadhAnandhamE - KAmAch
3.97 MB | MP3 File

14 - Kuna_magaL - KalyANavasantha
6.38 MB | MP3 File

15 - enmana_thAmarai_mEl_en_thAyE - RIthigowLa
11.93 MB | MP3 File

16 - MOhana_KrishNa - Kadhana_kuthUhala
6.68 MB | MP3 File

17 - Parama_KrupA_sagari - YedhukulakAmbOdhi
5.75 MB | MP3 File

18 - MangaLa
787.84 KB | MP3 File
Upload Notes
concert_details-GNB_special
Concert_Details:
Artists:
1.Sri. S KalyANarAman-vOcal
2.Smt. T RukmiNi-Violin
3.Sri. SrImUshaNam RAjArao-Mrudhanga

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 23 May 2014, 19:23

Lalgudi Krishnan and Viji at Parvathi
A great concert. I liked Kannada, Nasikabhushani and Kambhoji.

tanapp · Post by **tanapp** » 26 May 2014, 10:36

RSachi,

great concert by the Lalgudi sibling duo. Loved their Kambhoji. And an apt observation in your blog post..

The major selections are Kambhoji- O Rangashayi, the Thyagaraja classic and Rangapuravihara- the Dikshitar classic. Both these are dedicated to Ranganatha, the lord of Srirangam. Srirangam is one of the great temple towns of the world. This temple has attracted the inspired devotees over millennia, from Andal to Ramanuja to Kulashekhara Alwar to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Saint composers Thyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar and many others.

Learned the kriti ranganAthan anisham last year - an OVK gem in gambhIra nATTai on ranganAtha of Sri Rangam. It's a Panchratna style kriti with pallavi, anupallavi and many charanams and sahityam and an ending madhyama kaala sahityam.

Anupallavi describes the geography of Sri Rangam:

मङ्गळकर निष्कलङ्क दक्षिण मन्दाकिनी कावेरी मध्यस्थं|

The last charanam summarizes your blog post extract above:

भक्तिसार कुलशेखर यतीन्द्र भट्टनाथ भूत मुनि वाहन |

I hope your Rasaanveshanam undertaking is coming along well. Sri Rangam must surely be on your hotlist.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 May 2014, 21:16

tanapp: as far as I can tell, Sri OVK is the only one who has named the two rivers between which Srirangam is situated - dakSiNa mandAkini, and kAvEri. Everyone else, including Sri Arunacala Kavi (who simply says 'parvata maTuvilE avadharitta iranDATRu naDuvinilE'), and the famous tAlATTu/lullaby (that goes 'ArinDenDum kAvEri adanaDuvil Srirangam'), does not go into such detail! Absolutely awesome.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 26 May 2014, 22:11

Tanapp,
I had a wonderful visit with family to Srirangam in Oct. last.
Thank you for your kind observations!
I share some photos here:

tanapp · Post by **tanapp** » 27 May 2014, 10:19

rshankar,

absolutely awesome - and mind blowing prolificacy of St OVK in display both in terms of melodic movement of the majestic gambhIra nATTai rAga and sahityam and vivid details that just freely flow and cascade and flood one's entire being.

Rsachi

wonderful images. I cannot forget my summer vacations spent on the banks of Kollidam - would many times walk to the river from my grandpa's village near Uttamar Kovil (a small station on the Trichy-Chennai chord line).

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 27 May 2014, 10:51

as far as I can tell, Sri OVK is the only one who has named the two rivers between which Srirangam is situated - dakSiNa mandAkini, and kAvEri.

Srirangam is an island flanked by the Kaveri and the KolliDam. The river splits into two just before Srirangam,[and just after GuNaseelam] and in the minds of the early poets ()and administrators even) there wasn't a need to designate the branch that forked out, by another name. Both the tamil poets and SanskRt poets have refered to Srirangam as being nestled between the two Kaveri-s [the two branches of the Kaveri] - ubhaya-kaveri.

Once it went a bit downstream, and had an identity distinct from the Kaveri, it would have gotten the new name.
The name daksiNa-mandAkini means Ganga of the south, and is not an epithet of the KolliDam. It refers to the Kaveri.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 27 May 2014, 16:36

Mandakini makes a spectacular sight near Kedarnath. The blue waters next to colourful hills and snow peaks and blue skies is unforgettable. Contrary to her name, which means one who flows slowly and majestically, Mandakini unleashed her fury recently.
There is a river in Chitrakoot also. She is also called Mandakini.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 27 May 2014, 23:12

keerthi wrote:Srirangam is an island flanked by the Kaveri and the KolliDam. The river splits into two just before Srirangam,[and just after GuNaseelam] and in the minds of the early poets (and administrators even) there wasn't a need to designate the branch that forked out, by another name. Both the tamil poets and SanskRt poets have refered to Srirangam as being nestled between the two Kaveri-s [the two branches of the Kaveri] - ubhaya-kaveri.

Once it went a bit downstream, and had an identity distinct from the Kaveri, it would have gotten the new name.
The name daksiNa-mandAkini means Ganga of the south, and is not an epithet of the KolliDam. It refers to the Kaveri.

Keerthi - thank you for setting me straight!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 31 May 2014, 18:26

Folks, in the mood for a typical MDR TNK PMI concert? This is from the Music Academy:
http://bit.ly/T1a0de

Thanks to Venkatakailasam!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 07 Jun 2014, 03:31

Dear rasikas,
brunch time. Kalavanta 2014 in Bangalore was a major youth talent festival and competition conducted by ten sabhas under the umbrella of KFAC. I share here the video link. Both audio and video work by ShaaleLive is good.
Cue to 43:00 to get the music of Ashwarya Vidya Raghunath with Aditi and Akshay.
AVR is a talented young lady much on the concert platform these days. I wish her voice and talent stand her in good stead as she reaches higher levels of popularity.

http://new.livestream.com/shaalelive/ka ... s/51323731

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 09 Jun 2014, 12:09

Dear rasikas, I am not a frequent visitor to the you tube. Yesterday somehow I chanced upon some you tube tracks. And what a treasure I got. Some of you would have already seen these. Still, I am happy to share for the benefit of others who have not come across these tracks.

It is video of Bharat Sangeet Utsav 2005- First lecture demonstration by TNS and Suguna Purushothaman on RTP. TNS, in his inimitable way renders many pallavis wih detailed explanation about many aspects of pallavi. SP, then demonstrates a pallavi in Lakshmeesam talam (25 aksharams) and then as avadana pallavi with both hands putting separate talams. Simply breathtaking.

There is also a wonderful concert of TNS with MC and UKS and TVV- Chetasree, Balagopala, RTP in Shanmugapriya etc. TNS is very handsome looking and the old melodious voice which has won lakhs of admirers for him. UKS and MC in full support and enhancing the level of the concert significantly. TNS-UKS combination also is not very common. It is a feast for TNS fans.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 09 Jun 2014, 15:10

Links please..

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 09 Jun 2014, 15:15

I do not know how to copy the links. Anyhow today evening I will try. Or Simply search Bharat Sangeet Utsav.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 15 Jun 2014, 08:11

Brunch today :
Veena by Bhagyalakshmi:
http://bit.ly/1sfbHDr

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 21 Jun 2014, 10:29

Listen to Balamuralikrishna, a gem in Carnatic music like no other:
Http://raa.ag/aCL01004

These renderings came on 100.1FM recently. The Dikshitar krithi is rendered uniquely.

Aditto · Post by **Aditto** » 21 Jun 2014, 12:43

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/99vz8w1 ... igowla.mp3

The Same song rendered by TMK. There should be a video in youtube but the video was deleted. I have the mp3. Meditative !!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Aug 2014, 11:08

Oh what a Bhairavi. Especially the swara 'ga' in its myriad forms of lilting beauty and tremulous grace... as as sung by the brilliant Ramakishnan Murthy in this Bhairavi is like the delectable square drive of a Tendulkar, Dravid and GR Vishwanath......
It is a treat worth listening to all Sunday long.

Enjoy, folks!!!
http://bit.ly/RKMBhairaviSarievaramma